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STUNT CAR RACER?


Irgendwer

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Very simple:

...

  • Why the hell am I stuck with loading such an AMAZING piece of work (SCR) with an obscure loading-routine, ran from a slow-as-molasses SIO device, when I could do so almost instantly from the Incognito (or my Ultimates+SIDE on the XLs), on which people here have invested hundreds and hundreds of their personal life-time to develop and perfect them for our enjoyment?
  • Or... is there someone here trying to tell me that after *F_ing-30-years* we STILL don't have a standardized and flexible enough to be quickly adapted to for loading large titles like this, across several storage solutions... and somehow they are happy about it?

C'mon guys...

Ok, so if I understood it correctly, problem is that xbios doesn't work on some devices (expansions).

 

As far as I can see only advantage over Atari dos is that it takes less ram and can load files in lower regions.

 

This lower load address doesn't look like too important, but memory requirements are important if you go with single load game. In case of scr I think they went for ATR as a way to save hiscore (don't know if it's doing it ?).

 

So solution for all would be - use dos if you need file save, multi load.

 

ps. For my games I hate leaving dos turned on (what can I say, I could be control freak ;) ). But I can see the point in loading game with dos, turn it off for main game, then turn it back on when want to access disk etc...

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Also, Heisenberg's principle of uncertainty dictates that subjective experiences -- particularly in this case with the way the physics of light operate and how our human/animal eyes perceive that light and help translate perceived sensory perception into coherent images and fully developed perceptions or images in our brains -- will always be unique for all individuals. For a few different reasons, everyone perceives 3D, "real," visualized third dimension visual experiences or 3D reproductions/facsimiles, a little differently.

 

I know this isn't a physics board and I'm with you on most of your points, but too much sci-fi!

Heisenberg's principle says nothing of the sort, and no irrefutable chain of reasoning can lead to that conclusion. In fact common experience shows we all perceive things very similarly.

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Accordring to xxl's words in the thread on Atari OnLine forum ( http://atarionline.pl/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=4438&page=2#Item_32),

there's new version of xBios that would potentially allow working with HDDs and SIO speed higher than 1x SIO.

Too bad it seems neither Fandal nor xxl are interested in preparing new build of Stunt Car Racer providing these theoretical goods :(

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Accordring to xxl's words in the thread on Atari OnLine forum ( http://atarionline.pl/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=4438&page=2#Item_32),

there's new version of xBios that would potentially allow working with HDDs and SIO speed higher than 1x SIO.

Too bad it seems neither Fandal nor xxl are interested in preparing new build of Stunt Car Racer providing these theoretical goods :(

...Not to mention the locally-resident, "collective-commiseration" experts that insist (here) that all is good....

 

That shitty loader does not make justice to this IMPRESSIVE port!

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That shitty loader does not make justice to this IMPRESSIVE port!

 

Sorry - I really don't get the issue. I've said it once but again: How long do you play, if the loading time matters in relation to the playing time?

And again: We had to take care that this game works on any A8 with matching spec and not only f.e. on newer 130XE if you remove the SIO caps...

 

PLUS:

- There is already a 192k version available without load and save - if you prefer that...

- Fandal published already the sources - a smarter person than we are should be able to create a 128k version with load & save and fast SIO...

 

BTW: Do you have any issues with "Seven Cities of Gold" - or does this title also have a "shitty loader" which doesn't justice the brilliant game?

Edited by Irgendwer
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The question is should really current software bring it down to 1984 level (Seven Cities of Gold), when neither fast I/O devices nor ultraspeed SIO were as popular as nowadays?

It should rather provide wider variety of devices/speeds to run with, purists can still use 1x SIO, but let's have a choice at least?!

Edited by Jacques
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The question is should really current software bring it down to 1984 level (Seven Cities of Gold), when neither fast I/O devices nor ultraspeed SIO were as popular as nowadays?

It should rather provide wider variety of devices/speeds to run with, purists can still use 1x SIO, but let's have a choice at least?!

 

* I have no problem being a part of a production that is compared with the really outstanding "Seven Cities of Gold". That said, even with nowadays ultraspeed SIO devices in mind, you would have a hard time writing such a game and support "modern" transfer speeds. The custom SIO code is there for a good reason and would just collide with another custom (device) SIO routine.

* I get the impression that some users think we are just bad, ignorant or too dumb to provide solid custom device SIO compatible code. Going the single speed SIO way is not intentional but the result of the memory constraints, the desired feature completeness (load & save) and the need to have reliable IO on all machines. I could cite here my own development emails coming up with ideas to enable high-speed SIO, but it was simply out of reach in the given environment.

Maybe there is a reason while the source code is open for more than 6 weeks now and there isn't a full featured version with 128k and standard/high speed SIO supplied by any of the usual suspects? How long do you expect that we should have elaborated more on the SIO code before a release?

Again: It is a good thing that xBIOS provided a more or less usable out-of-the-box solution for our IO requirements.

 

I'm starting to repeat myself. So this definitely my last post trying to explain that this subject is not a matter of "good-will". Other tasks are waiting...

Edited by Irgendwer
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The question is should really current software bring it down to 1984 level (Seven Cities of Gold), when neither fast I/O devices nor ultraspeed SIO were as popular as nowadays?

It should rather provide wider variety of devices/speeds to run with, purists can still use 1x SIO, but let's have a choice at least?!

Ding, ding, ding! Bingo!

 

1. Imagine te amount and depth of QUALITY thinking put into SCR port to Atari... resulting in such a GREAT screenplay, overall quality and OPTIMAL use of Atari's inherent prowess.

 

2. Now, imagine a TINY fraction of that thinking (that is all really needed) being put into some basic adaptations to handle fast OS-provided SIO speeds, and modern (and POPULAR) IDE storage devices like Incognito, Ultimate/SIDE (at a minimum).

 

3. And then compare that last scenario with the time being invested here by "apologism" and "commiseration" experts urging us to by-pass / ignore the downside of disregarding such modern tools...

 

Perplexing, to say the least....

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Just curious, but is the problem simply related to saving the hi-scores only? Reason I ask is that I copied an XEX image to a CF and it seemed to load just fine using an XEL-CF board on my 1088XEL. However I didn't actually spend anytime playing it, since I have lots of other stuff going on at the moment, but the intro screen came up no problem, and of course the load time was very quick coming from the CF card. If it's only a saving issue, then in my opinion that's not really a big deal, assuming you don't need the ego boost ;) . Also I think the general tone of the arguments really needs to be tempered since these guys have created and released this fantastic port for FREE. Sometimes it seems like people totally miss the point on that one.

 

Edit: I was probably thinking of something else, because SCR doesn't seem to work from my XEL-CF, and it wasn't an XEX that I have, but an ATR. Not sure if there is a way to get around this, but for the moment it doesn't appear to boot.

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Jesus Christ....

 

It seems a witchhunt (to quote someone...) with xbios.

 

Each time some ppl use it (like me in Arsantica 2) they get crucified as not being able to run from their hardware etc.

 

Honestly. Who cares? It was decision made by the coders to use it. As was posted. If you dont like it... so what? Free world... take the source and write your own.

 

Should I complain why it does not use the Blitter of my VBXE? Or my 320XE or.... nope. Simply calm down.

 

Arsantica 3 was written with HARD custom sio loader. Why! Simply because I wanted to... nothing else.

 

Gnork on the VIC20 I used custom fast trackloader for 1541.... with that using all SD media was out of question like Sd2iee... but... who cares? it was my decision and my free time coding it so whAt.

Edited by Heaven/TQA
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Arsantica 3 was written with HARD custom sio loader. Why! Simply because I wanted to... nothing else.

 

Gnork on the VIC20 I used custom fast trackloader for 1541.... with that using all SD media was out of question like Sd2iee... but... who cares? it was my decision and my free time coding it so whAt.

 

I totally agree :thumbsup: . And this is what people need to keep in mind when getting something for FREE.

 

"not under the control or in the power of another; able to act or be done as one wishes."

 

So people stop your bitching :grin: and appreciate the fact that you can now play this great game on your A8.

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Jesus Christ....

 

(,,,)

 

Each time some ppl use it (like me in Arsantica 2) they get crucified as not being able to run from their hardware etc.

 

Honestly. Who cares?

 

(...)

 

...Huh?

 

First you say plenty of complaints when that loader-in-a-casket is used (just as others have already complained here)... but then you ask who cares?

 

Ave Maria!!!

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Where did I complain????

Communications alert ;)

 

You could understand it from two sides.

The Coder may do as he like to do the code.

But the rest might care for having it running best on the used setup.

 

Programs should run on native and original hardware. If people decide to use strange setups, they could change the code themselves ;)

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